PAst Art in the Park
2020-present
CRAIG WALSH'S MONUMENTS AT ARTPARK
August 9-18, 2024
Craig Walsh’s Monuments at Artpark was temporary installation created by acclaimed Australian artist Craig Walsh to honor the “unsung heroes” of Artpark – Indigenous Neighbors, Stage Crew, Staff, Volunteers, Board of Directors, Artpark Legacy, The Artists of Artpark, New York State Parks & Artpark Patrons: past, present and future with digital projections of their faces and expressions mapped across the trees.
Honorees included: Joanne Bauer (Artpark Board of Directors), Susan Stimson (Artpark Staff), Jack Wrobel (Artpark Stage Crew). Vincent Iacovitti (New York State Parks), Alison Lytle (Artists of Artpark), Jason Brydges (Artpark Legacy), Bruce Boe (Artpark Volunteers), & Violet Printup (Indigenous Community).
ALOUETTE BY BRANDON VICKERD
August 9-21, 2024
Alouette by Brandon Vickerd was temporarily installed in the couryard of Gallo Coal Fire Kitchen on Center St.
About Alouette: An aerospace device seems to have fallen from the sky and crashed in the middle of the city. A replica of the 1962 Canadian satellite now abandoned in its perpetual earthly orbit, Alouette recalls the failed promise of a brighter future foretold by modern times. It could equally represent the ever-growing obsession with connectivity and the resulting accumulation of space waste. Will the day come when the sky finally does fall down on our heads?
unity in diversity - A wayfinding mural by Muhammad Z Zaman
Unveiled in the fall of 2021
Muhammad Z Zaman’s Unity in Diversity debuted in the fall of 2021. Zaman was our 2021 Summer Artist-in-Residence at Artpark, specializing in urban art and calligraffiti. His script is deeply inspired by ancient practices while incorporating modern and urban techniques and influences. He weaves a unique narrative that uses elements from each of three languages that have significant personal meaning – English, Bangla, and Arabic. Unity in Diversity is an invitation of hope that humanity will be stronger with mutual connection and inclusiveness.
I will never forget my experience painting this Mural at Artpark,” said Muhammad Zaman. “I received some feedback from the people who were walking in the park, and this is something really special to me. They were attracted by the joyful colors and because they’ve never seen anything like it. Having the chance to paint in such a beautiful and peaceful environment was really inspiring.
“The Solo Roths Waltz Across the Red Hot Colossus Lot"
Started and completed in summer 2020
This public art project completed in August 2020 has transformed Artpark’s 160,000 square foot lower parking lot (Lot D, South 4th Street entrance) into an expansive canvas of colorful playfulness that expresses universal connections of our shared humanity. Lead artists Rob Lynch & Matt SaGurney (The Solo Roths) collaborated with the Artpark Bridges Team (People Inc.; Cynthia Pegado - Director of Artpark Bridges; and Parkinson’s Community) to generate concepts and imagery to be painted in the Lower Parking Lot at Artpark.
Supported by: Charles D. and Mary A. Bauer Foundation, Cornerstone Community Federal Credit Union, Joe & Pam Priest, Marla & Jeff Williams
Aerial photo (top left) courtesy of K&D Action Photo & Aerial Imaging / wnypapers.com
Sonic Trails
Debuted in 2020 and expanded through fall of 2022
Artpark's Sonic Trails was a visionary multi-season of site-reactive audio experiences presented in a mobile app designed by The Holladay Brothers, curated and co-produced by Sozo Creative. With a hyper-local and global perspective, Sozo Creative and Artpark brought together some of the most influential BIPOC voices in music to cultivate aural experiences exploring the unique geological and historic Earl W. Brydges Artpark State Park (located on Niagara Gorge, just seven miles from Niagara Falls).
Artpark Bridges garden
Debuted in 2019 and removed in 2023
The Artpark Bridges Garden was a painted pyramid sculpture that incorporates different types of percussion instruments with a surrounding garden of greenery and flowers. The Garden was created in a collaborative effort of participants from the Artpark Bridges community engagement program, including People Inc., Empower, artist Brian Nacov and landscape designer Andrew Palinski.
The concept of the piece was born out of a conversation between Artpark and Empower, desiring to give participants of the Artpark Bridges program something they can call their own and serve as a retreat when they visit the park.
The Artpark Bridges Garden is designed by Andrew Palinski. The pyramid and its instruments are conceived and installed by Brian Nacov. The mural on the pyramid, is designed and painted by artists from The Arts Experience of People Inc. including Jonnathan Mercado, Avery Gill, Royce Walczak, Theresa Woody, Rachel Olszewski, Sarah Schmidt, Keller Vogelsang, Alex May, Mary Ann Gregory and People Inc. Staff: Anne Paulk, Justin Leis with paint donated by Hyatt’s All Things Creative.
The plants that surround the installation are all native perennials provided by Russell’s Tree and Shrub Farm, LLC. The garden is ADA accessible, thanks to granite donated by International Stone Gallery of Lockport.
The Artpark Bridges Garden is supported in part by the Charles D. and Mary A. Bauer Foundation, the WGRZ Channel 2 and Tegna Foundation, Teresa Williams, Thomas Donahower. See below for full listing of Artpark Bridges supporters.
The Artpark Archives at the Burchfield Penney Art Center
From 2013 - 2020, Archivist Heather Gring led a team of processing staff and interns on the monumental task of rehousing, appraisal, arrangement and description of a 220 box collection donated to the Burchfield Penny to form the Artpark Archives, which is comprised of over 180 boxes of textual records, approximately 70,000 images, and hundreds of legacy AV objects and oversized materials. In 2021, the 400+ page finding aid to the collection was completed, which includes item-level identification of participating artists in over 75% of the image collection. Learn more here
It is difficult to put into words what a monumental undertaking the processing of this archival collection has been. If not for the herculean efforts of all the interns and staff who rehoused tens of thousands of slides and negatives, conducted detailed description on countless files, and moved hundreds of boxes all over WNY to get this collection here, this incredible part of American Art History would have been lost to obscurity. I am grateful beyond measure for their collective efforts - Archivist Heather Gring
For more information, please contact Artpark Director of Education and Interpretation Tanis Winslow at [email protected]